BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks traded higher on Friday as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's speech at Jackson Hole later today for fresh guidance on inflation, interest rates and recent bond market volatility.
The pan-European STOXX 600 rose half a percent to 655.24 after losing 0.7 percent on Thursday amid concerns about political instability in France and hawkish signals from ECB policymakers.
The German DAX surged 0.6 percent, France's CAC 40 climbed 1.1 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up 0.2 percent. The euro held steady against the dollar as markets reassess the ECB outlook.
In corporate news, EssilorLuxottica shares rallied 3 percent as the French eyewear manufacturer commenced a new program to repurchase up to 5 million shares.
Lenders BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale all rose about 1 percent after falling sharply in the previous session on worries about fiscal and political uncertainty as a key presidential debate got underway.
Austrian constriction firm Strabag soared 11 percent after raising its 2026 outlook.
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